Charge Separation, Stabilization, and Protein Relaxation in Photosystem II Core Particles with Closed Reaction Center

The fluorescence kinetics of cyanobacterial photosystem II (PSII) core particles with closed reaction centers (RCs) were studied with picosecond resolution. The data are modeled in terms of electron transfer (ET) and associated protein conformational relaxation processes, resolving four different radical pair (RP) states. The target analyses reveal the importance of protein relaxation steps in the ET chain for the functioning of PSII. We also tested previously published data on cyanobacterial PSII with open RCs using models that involved protein relaxation steps as suggested by our data on closed RCs. The rationale for this reanalysis is that at least one short-lived component could not be described in the previous simpler models. This new analysis supports the involvement of a protein relaxation step for open RCs as well. In this model the rate of ET from reduced pheophytin to the primary quinone Q_A is determined to be 4.1 ns⁻¹. The rate of initial charge separation is slowed down substantially from ∼170 ns⁻¹ in PSII with open RCs to 56 ns⁻¹ upon reduction of Q_A. However, the free-energy drop of the first RP is not changed substantially between the two RC redox states. The currently assumed mechanistic model, assuming the same early RP intermediates in both states of RC, is inconsistent with the presented energetics of the RPs. Additionally, a comparison between PSII with closed RCs in isolated cores and in intact cells reveals slightly different relaxation kinetics, with a ∼3.7 ns component present only in isolated cores.